Interview with Alex Dean

Audio recording and transcript of Alex Dean's 1979 interview with Myrtle Bergren for the Coal Tyee History Project. Dean talks about how he and his father were both coal miners on Vancouver Island. Dean shares the story about how when he was 10 years old, his father took him into the Number 1 Esplanade Mine. He describes how mine cages work, and talks about coal mining equipment and explosives. He explains how he received his fire boss ticket and gives details about working in mines in both Nanaimo and Cumberland. At the end of the interview, Dean describes how he lived in a company house in Cumberland and he also talks about what miners did there for entertainment.